90kg of gold mined illegally each month, most proceeds sent to Afghanistan: Kundi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said about 90 kilograms of gold was being extracted illegally in the province every month, with most of the money earned from the operation transferred to Afghanistan.

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, Kundi said the scale of the extraction and the transfer of proceeds had emerged during a crackdown on illegal mining.

The governor said all leases for gold mining across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were being cancelled. He also announced a decision to suspend all gold mining activity in the province with immediate effect.

Kundi instructed leaseholders and contractors engaged in gold mining to take their heavy machinery out of the relevant mining areas within one week. He warned that those who failed to remove the equipment within that period would face action after the deadline, and their machinery would be confiscated.